The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 47

a) EST BETS BABBITT PUNCH: Eddie Rabbitt, who knocked 'em out in his first run through Branson last month, returns Saturday for a three-week stay. Rabbitt has an easy-going manner and is an energetic singer with one of the most rockin' groups in town, Hare Trigger. Shows begin at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $14.95, $5 children 7-12. Call 334-6400 or 1-800-365-5833 for reservations.

S. aw f- '1 hi i I BRING MAY FLOWERS: Admit it, we had plenty of showers in April, so now it's about time to see some flowers, don't you think? After all, this is a supposed to be a cause-and-effect relationship. The Iris Society of the Ozarks is doing its part The group is throwing its fifth annual Iris show from noon to 5 p.m. at North Town Mall. CHECK IT OUT home 111 neoclassical Anne style arch tecWre, neoc desian and Victorian richest Sou on, TW.

ana man in Joplin. runs 9 a.m.-6 pm- in Carthage and JopW LOVE PUPPETS? You thought the kids went crazy over the Disney cartoon, wait until they see it come to life. The classic love story "Beauty and the Beast" comes to town with strings attached. The National Marionette Theatre of Connecticut has performances at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

today and 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Landers Theatre, 311 E. Walnut St. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for children. Call 869-3869.

Admission is $8. Severinsen's big band sound at the Grand Palace A doctor In the house Who: Doc Severinsen and the Ex-Tonight Show Band Where: Grand Palace, Branson Times: 3 and 8 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $18-26 Phone: 334-7263 (or toll-free 1-800-227-8587) By Ron Sylvester The News-Leader Doc Severinsen figures Branson will warm up to his trumpet as well as its audiences do to a steel guitar. Severinsen visited Branson last year. Although the big band leader of Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" was familiar with the town's notoriety for country music, he heard some sweetly familiar sounds.

The big sound: "Audiences there respond really well to big band music, and I've got the best known big band in the world," says Severinsen, who brings his 15-piece orchestra to the Grand Palace Sunday. But while blue notes may be becoming an accepted sound here, Severinsen was most impressed by the green landscape. "You hear about Branson and take up the same instrument But the youngster insisted on learning to play the trombone. Instead, he had to settle for the only brass instrument available in his small town. He was playing in the high school band by age 7, toured with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra at age 12 and eventually played for Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Charlie Barnett.

In 1949, Severinsen landed a job as an NBC staff musician. He joined the Tonight Show orchestra in 1962 and moved to the front of the bandstand in 1967. Tonight's band today: Severinsen's traveling band includes much the same personnel he fronted week nights, always beginning with the familiar theme song written by Carson and Paul Anka. But even before Carson stepped down May 22 of Cover story you try to imagine what it's like, but you get there and it's really something else," Severinsen says. "I thought it would be dry and arid.

But it's not. It's really lush, a beautiful place." Severinsen likes that environment. He has his own ranch in California's Santa Ynez Mountains, where he lives with his wife (Emily Marshall), a parrot named Peaches, two horses, two dogs and four cats. They call him 'Doc': Severinsen grew up the son of an Arlington, Oregon, dentist: Dr. Carl Severinsen.

Nicknamed "Little Doc" from childhood, as he grew older the "little" disappeared. The father, who played the violin, wanted his son to last year, news of Severinsen on tour sent NBC network officials straight to the phones. "They told me in a very patronizing way that I would not be using the name 'Tonight Show Band' and that's while I was still with the 'Tonight Severinsen says. "During one of the shows Johnny said during his monologue that I should call it the 'Ex-Tonight Show Band." Nearly a year later, the band leader with the trimmed mustache and rainbow wardrobe tours constantly, with both the Ex-Tonight Show Band and a smaller jazz fusion ensemble Facets. He's also principal pops conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and this year replaced Mitch Miller as pops conductor of the Buffalo (N.Y.) Philharmonic.

"We have created our own thing," Severinsen says. "We've been able to do that, because we've been together longer than any big band ever existed. But the real strength is the talent of our individual members." May 7-9, 1993 Weekend 3.